Page 115 of Rigid

He blinked and then coughed a laugh. “Excuse me?”

“If you don’t have a search warrant, you can’t come in. House rules.”

“I need to talk to your significant other,” he said.

“Sorry. No can do.”

“I think he’ll want to hear what I have to say, and I do believe you owe me a favor.”

I heard the bathroom door open and then close.

“Smokey, the cops are here.”

“What?”

Smokey stepped between me and the door, and looked at Watson. “You lost?”

Watson shook his head. “Need to talk to you for a moment.”

“Concerning what?”

He glanced over each shoulder, and then met Smokey’s hardened gaze. “May I come in?”

“Afraid not.”

He looked at me. “I saved your ass, and you know it. All I need is five minutes.”

“What’s he talking about? Smokey asked.

“He uhhm. He’s the one that got me the attorney.”

“Sounds like a cop move,” Smokey said. “Save the girl to get to the Ol’ Man?”

Watson shook his head, and then rolled up the edge of his shirt sleeve. He turned his muscular bicep toward us and revealed a tattoo.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Look familiar?”

Smokey studied the tattoo, and then nodded. “Might have seen one like that before.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Navy SEAL,” Smokey said. He looked at Watson. “You want a fucking cookie?”

“Sorry, just had a donut. I’m full.” Watson said, stone-faced. He cocked his head to the side. “Let’s say I’m looking out for your President’s best interest.”

“Go talk to him,” Smokey said. “Time for me to shut the door.”

Watson chuckled a dry laugh. “He’s a prick. And it’s not him I’m worried about right now, it’s you.”

“Afraid I can’t help you,” Smokey said.

Watson shrugged. “Guess you won’t mind doing a twenty-year bit in club fed? By the time you get out, your daughter will be five years older than you are now.”

Smokey spit out a laugh. “Haven’t done anything. And, I don’t scare easy. Go pull someone else’s cock, cop.”

“At the hamburger joint off Highway 8.” Watson cleared his throat and then widened his eyes a little. “The guy at your bike? The fight that special agent Brickman got into? It was a set-up. Your prospect, Tank? He’s a special agent with the ATF. Name’s Brickman. The other guy was an ATF underling.”

Smokey’s face went stark white.